Driving under another influence: pot

Contra Costa Times, CA
LINI S. KADABA
Knight Ridder Newspapers
05/17/06

Some gems from this one:

"Unlike most drugs, evidence of marijuana use lingers in the body. It takes eight days to eliminate 90 percent of it, according to a study cited by Wilkie Wilson, professor of pharmacology at Duke University and co-author of Buzzed: The Straight Facts about the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy.

Researchers say that marijuana, which has become more potent over the years, affects judgment, concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time - all skills needed for safe driving. The greatest risk is in the first 24 hours."

A little confusion there between evidence of use and effects of use. And if this man knows where to get some pot that gives you a 24-hour buzz then he's sitting on a goldmine.

"In a study of injured drivers at a Baltimore trauma unit, conducted in 2003, marijuana was the most popular companion drug to alcohol, especially among those under 35, said psychologist J. Michael Walsh, president of the Walsh Group, a Bethesda, Md., consultancy involved in the research.

That finding is worrisome, Walsh said, because marijuana combined with a beer or two can produce a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit in many states. It's more than seven times Pennsylvania's limit for drivers under 21."

So there you have it. Marijuana increases your blood alcohol level. This is complete nonsense and Mr. Walsh should be ashamed of himself for telling such obvious lies.